Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge (0.78 km diameter)
- Will pass within 28,840,178 km of Earth in 2032
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
162080 (1998 DG16) is a small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1998 DG16 as a "Near Earth Asteroid" due to its orbit's proximity to Earth, but it is not considered potentially hazardous because computer simulations have not indicated any imminent likelihood of future collision.
1998 DG16 orbits the sun every 310 days (0.85 years), coming as close as 0.58 AU and reaching as far as 1.22 AU from the sun. 1998 DG16 is about 0.8 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.
Close Approaches
1998 DG16's orbit is 0.19 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.
1998 DG16 has 8 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| April 8, 2032 | 28,840,178 | 12.266 |
| March 30, 2060 | 28,753,960 | 11.091 |
| April 8, 2077 | 28,606,723 | 11.992 |
| March 30, 2105 | 29,128,217 | 11.019 |
| April 8, 2122 | 28,479,216 | 11.785 |
| March 29, 2150 | 29,507,023 | 10.997 |
| April 8, 2167 | 28,463,779 | 11.584 |
| March 28, 2195 | 29,911,566 | 10.960 |
Images and Observations
1998 DG16's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 2, 1981. It was last officially observed on April 2, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 514 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
This asteroid is not considered a viable target for human exploration by the NHATS study.Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 1998 DG16:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.8967 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.3582
- Inclination: 16.21°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 344.33°
- Argument of Periapsis: 356.88°
- Mean Anomaly: 219.46°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 0.77700 km
- Magnitude: 19.95
- Albedo: 0.035
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 310 days (0.85 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 31.47 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.22 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.58 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 162080 (1998 DG16) is indicated by a ◯ pink circle. Note that the object may not be in your current field of view. Use the controls below to adjust position, location, and time.
Size Rendering
The above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 1998 DG16 to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.
